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There are a few threads on here about using surplus powders (WC870 and WC872) in cast bullet rifle loads. Some have had success in the larger overbore magnum cartridges and some have used them in .308 and .30-06 with good reports. Has anyone used the commercial stuff (H50BMG or Reloder 50) in cast bullet loads? Specifically, I'm wondering about .338 Win Mag.
I have not used the commercial stuff, but I have used WC860 in 300 WM and 338 WM with good success. I should think the commercial equivalents would work quite well.
I've not used them in cast bullet loads but I have used H50BMG and H5010 in .338Lapua Mag with great results. I get a lot longer life from the brass and still get good velocity and accuracy. I've done a few loads with military surplus WC872, IMR5010 and WC860 but not enough to give much info. I'm running 250gr Sierra Match Kings at 2850-2950 with these powders.
Frank
Just to see what would happen, I tried a case full of .50BMG and 20mm powder in a 10mm case under a 175gr cast bullet. It did not stick in the barrel. It did go 'bang'. It would not cycle the slide. It was rather quiet. You would have to be really desperate before resorting to it in a handgun. :) For any rifle that takes a faster burning powder and can take a case full of it, I tend to believe that you could use either of these two powders without blowing up your rifle. Of course, working up the load would be the prudent thing to do.
Over bore rounds is where the 50 Browning powders shine. WCC 860 works well in my .257 wby , 7mm rem mag and 338 Lapua. With heavy bullets I get maximum Steam and good accuracy. The 215 gr. Lyman 311284 Boolit in the .308 win. and 275 gr from accurate in the 35 whelen work well also. I always use magnum rifle primers with this powder. You will do ok in the .338 win. mag with heavy bullets. Velocity will be down a bit though.
ill just leave this here.
http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Surplus/default.html
In the first Lyman Handbook of Cast Bullets (1958), Hodgdon had a small section in the back of the book that listed powders for cast rifle bullets. For the 30-06, Hodgdon listed 56 grains of "50MG" powder for a Lyman 311284 and 311467 bullet designs which yielded around 1900 fps. I'm interested in finding out if the "50BMG" powder of the 1950's is the same as the H50BMG made today. There was no data for my 338 Win as it hadn't been around all that long in 1958.
They should work great, but a magnum primer is recommended. The 50BMG is basically a scaled up -06 so the powder I figure should work great in an -06 for 220gr or 230gr heavy boolits. Slow powder = long barrel or you'll get incomplete burning.
bolt action 223?
By way of payback for all I have gotten off this board:
I followed Chargar's directions for my Krag with Jeff Bartlett's WC872 powder. I was shooting NOE's 311284 sized .311 with White Label's BAC lube and 50 grains of the powder. my 100 yard groups were hovering near the 1" mark.
Here's the payback part: I tried 53 and 54 grains of the same powder, all other things being equal. I figured some compression would get me a cleaner burn. It did not and accuracy went to hell. Never would've guessed it but that's my experience.
Tongue in cheek, run that charcoal through a coffee grinder? ;-)
prs
Not sure I catch your drift. It runs through the meter like water. Now the 5010 that I use, that's a different matter altogether and meters about as well as 4064. Hey, it may be slow but it gets boolit out there with some authority and where I point it.Quote:
Originally Posted by prs